Pousada Viana do Castelo

A Belle Époque hotel perched on a mountaintop above the Atlantic, with a veranda built specifically so you have no excuse not to sit down and stare. The guest rooms are simple, sunny, and comfortable, but the dining room arrives with crystal chandeliers and parquet floors polished to a mirror shine. The old town below, all red roofs and white stucco, completes the view. You can hike, sail, or golf, though most guests seem to settle on doing very little, very contentedly.